Every time I thin & etch a Hiro AS knife I receive emails and PM's from members asking about the cost of doing this to their knives. I try to be as inexpensive as I can when pricing this work but it comes down to a lot of labor and needing to charge for this amount of work appropriately. In about 50% of the quotes I give out I receive knives for work, and that's not bad, but I can't help but think that maybe if the pricing for this work was more reasonable then I'd have a greater percentage coming in. This post is about how to bring the thin & etch service to more people while adding some stimulus to my package. :cool2:

Here's what I'm thinking.....

I'm offering (for a limited time) a coupon for sale that includes thinning, spine/choil rounding, etching, and sharpening service for all Hiromoto AS (western handled) knives at a significantly reduced cost.

This price offer is possible simply because I'm going to do the work in batches of 2-3 knives at a time which makes me a lot more efficient than doing singles.

If you purchase one coupon and send in your one knife it will have to wait until I get another in to do at the same time. If you purchase multiples (and I encourage this of course - LOL) then they will be serviced much faster as the wait time will be a lot less since they are their own group. Make sense?

A couple of important notes...

1. The results/appearance of the blade shown in the attached image is only a representation of what a Hiromoto AS gyuto may look like when thinned & etched. Each knife is an individual and will have individual characteristics that control the results of the work being performed. We offer no guarantee in the end results with regards to the appearance nor thickness of the blade post service.

2. If you're in a rush please do not partake in this offer. I am extremely busy and will not be able to work on your knife immediately. As usual I will do my very best to process the work in the most efficient manor possible but I can not give out time estimates nor guarantees.

Please see Hiromoto AS Performance Package (http://www.japaneseknifesharpeningstore.com/product-p/hiroperf.htm) for details.

Thanks! :)
Dave

Dave Martell

11-12-2012, 08:11 PM

I just received a PM asking about where is the best place to buy a new Hiromoto AS gyuto so that they can send it in for service. Here's the only place that I can recommend....

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/TenmiJyurakuSeries.html

heldentenor

11-12-2012, 08:15 PM

This is a really good way for us to use the forums as a kind of "co-op" to make things more accessible and efficient for both the customers and the provider. I'll probably end up taking you up on it--and highly encourage you to keep up the group buys, group work offers, etc.

Dave Martell

11-12-2012, 08:31 PM

I welcome, from past customers of this service, any and all testimonials here. :spin chair:

Man, too bad this deal isn't for any other knives, I have another Sakon possibly
coming and we know how much you love those. how's the finger?

Dave Martell

11-13-2012, 03:12 AM

Man, too bad this deal isn't for any other knives, I have another Sakon possibly
coming and we know how much you love those. how's the finger?

As long as the knife in question is similar in construction having similar steps needed to get it done then the price can be controlled by working in batches. If I have to do it one at a time then it turns into something bigger, that's my concern here. So maybe!! :)

sachem allison

11-13-2012, 03:17 AM

no worries, I'm saving up a batch of knives to send out to you for spa treatment, if I decide to trade for the Sakon I'll toss it in. Thanks, Dave

Jim

11-13-2012, 08:20 AM

Jim, your knife looks great. What wood is the handle?

Thanks, it's spalted Maple, Adam re-handled it for me a couple years ago or so and Dave gave it the spa treatment.

Dave Martell

11-13-2012, 02:49 PM

The response has already been good so I'm thinking of reducing the time that I'm leaving this open. I'll be closing this sale down on Fri 11/16

Thanks everyone! :)

Notaskinnychef

11-13-2012, 07:01 PM

wow, so many amazing things i am seeing here, i have no idea where to start, all so impressive but kinda overwhelming, damn i want a knife lol

JVoye

11-13-2012, 07:41 PM

Nice, Just got the coupon! The knife will be on it's way Dave-looks great. Thanks!

Dave Martell

11-13-2012, 08:52 PM

Nice, Just got the coupon! The knife will be on it's way Dave-looks great. Thanks!

Thanks Justin! :)

Dave Martell

11-14-2012, 02:30 PM

Two things that have come up...

1. If you have a knife that you're sending in for thinning work and it is already customized (like with a handle upgrade) then you should know that if anything should go wrong with the thinning process and the blade is destroyed I will not be able to replace the custom handle, I will only replace with a new stock knife. I mention this because once in awhile I lose a knife during the thinning work and for this reason I thin knives BEFORE I rehandle them, never the reverse. I hope that you can understand this and see that the liability is too great for me to accept. Please do not purchase one of these coupons if this is not OK with you.

2. If you have a knife that is not a Hiromoto AS and want it thinned then it's possible that we can accept this with the use of one of these coupons but please check with me before purchasing a coupon and we can talk specifics.

I will not thin or modify any knife made by other US custom knifemakers. There is an unwritten code that US knifemakers do not touch each others knives.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
Dave

Dave Martell

11-16-2012, 12:31 PM

Today is the last day for this sale.

Thanks to all of you who have participated! :thumbsup:

sachem allison

11-17-2012, 01:48 AM

sorry, Dave the Sakon fell through, I'll be sending you a bunch of things to sharpen in a week or two though.

Dave Martell

11-17-2012, 11:43 AM

sorry, Dave the Sakon fell through, I'll be sending you a bunch of things to sharpen in a week or two though.

No problem Son. I'm happy to have whatever work, thanks. :)

dharperino

11-20-2012, 03:30 PM

My Hiromoto arrived a few minutes ago (I ordered it fri afternoon!) and I'm double checking on the correct procedure. Send in the knife in the box? Bubble wrapped, I'm sure. Is insurance needed? Oh, and will the order number on my email for the thinning ,etc suffice? Sorry for the newbie questions...

Thanks!!!

Dave Martell

11-20-2012, 03:47 PM

My Hiromoto arrived a few minutes ago (I ordered it fri afternoon!) and I'm double checking on the correct procedure. Send in the knife in the box? Bubble wrapped, I'm sure. Is insurance needed? Oh, and will the order number on my email for the thinning ,etc suffice? Sorry for the newbie questions...

Thanks!!!

Yup, just send the knife in along with the receipt/invoice email you received and I do the rest.

Most people do ship the knife in the knife box and then put that inside another box. The important thing is to make sure that the knife can't move inside the boxes, this is where most damage happens. Insure if you wish.